but, with global warming, we'll need the mercury to watch the temperatures rise

January 27, 2005

Chlorine factories a major source of mercury pollution, report says

A new study suggests that the chlorine industry may be releasing

dangerously high amounts of mercury into the environment, more even

than the coal-fired power plants usually pinpointed as major

emitters. Although most chlorine plants use a production process

that does not involve mercury, there are nine in the U.S. whose

century-old methods involve pumping electrically charged salty water

through a vat of mercury. A percentage of the mercury ends up

unaccounted for, possibly " lost " into the air in emissions that go

unreported, according to the study. Reported or not, those emissions

add up. " The nine mercury-based chlorine plants in the U.S. may

rival the entire power industry as the nation's largest industrial

mercury polluter, " the study charges. Oceana, the environmental

group that released the report, called on the U.S. EPA to require the

plants, located mostly in the Southeast and Midwest, to phase out

their mercury-based processing equipment by 2008.

straight to the source: Los Angeles Times, Marla Cone, 26 Jan 2005

straight to the source: MSNBC.com, Associated Press, 26 Jan 2005

straight to the report: Poison Plants, by Oceana

Kick over the wall 'cause government's to fall

How can you refuse it?

Let fury have the hour, anger can be power

D'you know that you can use it?

Recommended Posts